


Break Free

by bonjourmarlene



Category: AKB48
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, F/F, Fluff, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 14:18:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13168704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonjourmarlene/pseuds/bonjourmarlene
Summary: Mayu has always been hiding behind her big sister, Yuko. But one day, when Yuko is hit with the flu, Mayu is forced to face high school all by herself. When Kashiwagi Yuki introduces herself to Mayu, she thinks that maybe it's not so bad after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MayuYuki Oshis](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=MayuYuki+Oshis).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> requested by akbdaisukijoshi.
> 
> This is the first time I'm writing for the AKB fandom and the first time writing MayuYukirin, so I hope you all like it! Please leave some comments with your thoughts, it would be much appreciated.

“It will be fine,” Yuko said with a soft smile. Mayu looked up at her with big eyes – everyone always called Yuko an old man stuck in a high school girl’s body, that she was a pervert and didn’t think about anything else than seeing her classmates naked and making her kouhais uncomfortable. But to Mayu, she was a big and protective sister who had always taken care of her.

“But what if people start talking to me and asking me where you are?”

“Then you tell them I got the flu and had to stay home today,” Yuko replied and let her head sink back into the pillow. Mayu was kneeling beside her bed, already in her school uniform and her hands shaking with fear.

She had always been a bit shy and when she had started high school, she had been so scared, that she had hid behind her big sister all day long. She had even managed to convince Yuko to escort her to classes so that nobody would bother her during break time and whenever the bell rang, she hurried out of her seat and found her way to 3-2, Yuko’s class.

The thing was, Yuko had a girlfriend that always hung out with them. She was loud, popular and funny – the total opposite of Mayu. It had taken some time to get used to Haruna’s presence around them when Mayu was hiding behind her big sister, but as the last weeks had gone past, she had learned to love Haruna like she was her own big sister. Her loud and flamboyant persona made another great protector and every time Mayu felt scared, Haruna’s airheadedness and that goofy smile put her at ease again. She loved being around her big sister and her girlfriend.

But today was the first day that Mayu would have to go to high school, completely alone. Her big sister had caught the flu over the weekend and even though Mayu had done anything to help her feel better by Monday (made her soup, bathed her, helped her change her clothes, changed her bed sheets, went to the apothecary to buy her medicines), Yuko was still bound to the bed.

“You’ll be fine,” Yuko told her once more and squeezed Mayu’s hand before she let out a cough and buried her face in the pillow. “It’s probably just for today. I’ll try to be back to school tomorrow.”

Mayu let out a sigh when their mother called her downstairs. She had already skipped breakfast. Her stomach was twisting and turning with nerves at the thought of having to go through school without her sister’s protective back in front of her; she hadn’t managed to take down a single bite.

“It’s time to go, Mayu,” said her mother and handed her the bento for today’s lunch. “You’ll be fine – let your sister rest, okay?”

Mayu looked up at her mother with big eyes and then accepted the bento, knowing she would probably not eat it, no matter how well her mum had put it together. She was sure it was delicious, but it would be a waste if her nervous stomach made her throw it back up. “Thank you,” she murmured quietly and then took a deep breath, making her way outside to the bus stop down the road.

She had never ridden the bus before by herself either. She had never appreciated enough how lucky she was to have an older sister go to the same high school as she did, but now it was all crushing down on her. Her legs were shaking and she was hoping nobody would pay attention to her and just let her on the bus in peace.

She knew, eventually she would have to go to school by herself. Her big sister was an amazing student, had always written perfect grades, and now she was in her last year of high school. Mayu knew that next year, she would have to go to school by herself. She couldn’t hold back her sister’s education because of her own worries, but it was nice to know she would be protected at least for her first year of high school.

Usually, Mayu would walk to school together with her big sister and some other kids in the neighbourhood, but Mayu was worried what they would say and think if she turned up alone this time. Unfortunately for her, they were waiting right outside her house as she had taken so long to come outside and they had seemingly decided it was best to wait out here rather than at the usual meet-up. “Good morning!” Takahashi-san greeted her.

Mayu bowed quickly, as she was in the same class as her big sister’s girlfriend, Haruna, and thus one of her senpais. “Good morning,” she replied as strongly as she could muster.

“Where is Yuko?” Takahashi-san asked.

“Sh-she is ill,” Mayu stammered. “She caught the flu.”

Takahashi-san just nodded and then the small group of them started walking. Mayu was surprised how well this had worked. It wasn’t a lie, but she had been worried people would ask follow-up questions why she was sick, why Mayu hadn’t taken care of her properly and why she was not at home, supporting her big sister now. But no, they seemed satisfied with one answer.

Mayu was quiet on their walk to school, but the other girls weren’t. They weren’t all from the same classes, but they had gotten so used to walking the same route every day that they had all become friends. Mayu wondered whether she would consider them her friends if she had had to walk this way alone every day and if she had made conversation with the other girls before; but she had always hid behind Yuko’s back and even now, she was just listening.

She listened to Akimoto-san and Miyazawa-san talk about new techniques they had learned in the Judo club which they both visited. They were in the year above her, but so much taller than her and even their own senpais, that Mayu couldn’t help but admire them.

She listened to Maeda-san and Takahashi-san giggle to each other about silly things and talk about their bento, and call each other Acchan and Takamina. A small part of her hoped she would make a friend that would call her by a nickname and someone she could give a nickname to. Someone she could talk to, even if it was just silly and small things but made them laugh nonetheless.

They made it to school within a few minutes and Mayu was glad nobody had forced her to join any conversation – she was the only one in the group that was still in first year, after all – and after saying goodbye and thanking them for watching over her during their walk to school, she hurried inside to change her shoes.

Without Yuko walking in front of her, she felt like everyone was staring at her on her way to her class, 2-1. People in her class turned to her in surprise when she came in, without her usual company. She wondered whether people even knew it was her big sister, since she never talked to anyone.

“All alone today?” A girl with long and straight black hair asked her. Although Mayu had been in this class for a few weeks now, she had no idea what the girl’s name was. “Where is your senpai?”

“You mean my big sister?” Mayu asked back. The fact that the girl had referred to her big sister as her senpai had taken her by surprise and for a moment, she had completely forgotten about being shy.

The other girl looked surprised for a moment, “Oh, she is your sister? You don’t look very much alike.”

Mayu blushed and shook her head. Everyone had always told them that. Yuko had dyed her hair brown before joining high school, which made them look even more different. Mayu didn’t like her small mouth, and Yuko had a big and lovely smile. Yuko also had much bigger and more beautiful eyes. She was a perfect student, while Mayu’s lack of participation in class caused her grades to continually slip as teachers gave up trying.

“W-why would my senpai… escort me to class every day?” Mayu asked with a quiet voice, confused why her classmate even thought this way. She wanted to ask for her name, but she knew it would be rude. They had been sitting next to each other for weeks now and Mayu had no idea what her name was.

The classmate shrugged and then laughed, “I guess you’re right, that would be weird. I thought, I don’t know, maybe you were one of those cool kids that only hangs out with senpais, you know? You always walk to school with them as well.”

“I –,” Mayu started but didn’t know how to go on. A frog had formed in her throat and made it impossible for her to continue talking. She knew, her face was beet red and she didn’t know what to say to this. True, she walked to school with people from classes above her, but that was just because they were in her big sister’s year and because they lived in the neighbourhood.

“And you always hang out with your sister and Kojima-san in the breaks as well,” the classmate continued. “They seem very popular and good students, so I figured you must be generally very popular with our senpais.”

Mayu, popular with senpais? The idea confused her. It was curious to see what her classmate’s opinion was of her and how extremely different it was to how she really was. She had expected people to laugh at her, now that she wasn’t hiding behind her sister’s back anymore, but it seemed that people thought she was just popular.

She could only shake her head at the idea. She barely ever talked to anyone, let alone her senpais. Even when she spent her breaks with her big sister and Haruna, she didn’t talk much to them. They were fine just chatting to each other. In front of the others, they would pretend to be just best friends, but Mayu knew they were more than that.

It was two years ago, when Mayu was still in middle school and Yuko had brought home a classmate from high school for the first time. It was Yuko’s first year in high school, so their mum was excited for Yuko to have made a close friend so early and invited her over to the house. Haruna had dinner together with them, and then Yuko and Haruna went to the girls’ shared bedroom to do homework – Yuko asked Mayu not to disturb them, so Mayu just stayed behind in the kitchen and helped their mother clean up after dinner.

Then, Mayu’s mother sent her to offer them something to drink to be a good host and Mayu made the mistake of bursting into the room without knocking first and witnessed her big sister kiss another girl.

“Don’t tell mum and dad,” Yuko begged her quietly and Mayu didn’t understand what was so bad about it. She thought, if Yuko wanted to kiss girls then she should be allowed to kiss girls. She had always wondered what it was like to kiss other girls, more so than what it was like kissing other boys. Maybe this was what separated her so much from her classmates especially during their last year in middle school.

But Mayu promised not to tell mum and dad, and promised that she didn’t mind and that she liked Haruna a lot. Then they started hanging out together during breaks in school as well and sometimes, when Haruna and Yuko snuck a kiss somewhere quickly, Mayu played hide-out and would distract other students if they happened to look their way in that exact moment. In return, the two older girls took care of Mayu and protected her.

Mayu was sure, if it wasn’t for Yuko, Haruna would never bother about her.

“I – I’m… that’s not it,” Mayu replied with a shake of her head. “I’m-I’m certainly not popular.”

The classmate looked at Mayu for a little bit and then nodded her head, “I understand. I was curious about you, to be honest.” She flashed Mayu a smile that startled her for a second.

“Curious?” Mayu wondered aloud. “About me? Why?”

The other girl shrugged, “I wondered what it was about you that made you so popular with our senpai. Now I understand it’s your sister.”

Mayu suppressed a sigh. For some reason unfathomable to herself, she had managed to gain the reputation of being a cool and popular girl over her first few weeks in high school and within a sole ten minutes she had managed to shatter that image.

“Still, you seem interesting. You’re very quiet.”

Mayu looked up at her again, eyes wide. Even though the girl had learned her secret, even though she knew there wasn’t even a secret, she was still curious about her? “There’s nothing to know about me,” Mayu muttered quietly and shook her head. “I’m not interesting at all.”

The classmate nodded determined. “Oh, yes, you are. I want to know more about you.”

Mayu’s heart picked up speed, beating rapidly in her chest. “Why? I’m just… plain.”

The classmate shook her head once more. “Trust me, you’re probably one of the most interesting people in our year. And I’d like to get to know you better. If your sister isn’t here today, will you sit with me during lunch? I know you usually sit with your sister outside by the tree, but I promise eating on the roof top is nice too.”

Mayu nodded, before she realised what the girl had said. She knew where Mayu was usually eating lunch – did that mean she was watching Mayu?

***

Mayu was lucky. During class, their teacher had called on the girl next to her, and she had learned her last name was Kashiwagi. Considering they weren’t friends yet, Mayu thought it would be fine to call her by her last name.

Kashiwagi watched, as Mayu took out the bento box her mum had handed her this morning, then she grabbed Mayu’s wrist and dragged her up the stairs. Mayu’s heart skipped a beat and she could hear it hammering in her chest as she looked down at where Kashiwagi’s fingers were gripping onto Mayu’s arm. She looked back up at Kashiwagi’s face, which was completely void of any emotion except for that small smile she had been wearing the whole day already. Mayu wondered why she felt so nervous about it when it seemed so completely normal to Kashiwagi. She didn’t have any experience yet of what the high school life was supposed to be like and now she felt like someone had thrown her into the cold water; maybe it wasn’t so bad in there, as long as Kashiwagi was holding her hand.

They made their way to the roof and as long as Mayu was focusing on the grip Kashiwagi had on her hand, it didn’t matter to her that everyone else was staring at her. When she walked through school with her big sister, she would usually just walk behind her or between her and Haruna. Even though Kashiwagi wasn’t as close to her as her big sister usually was, she felt oddly safe with her.

Kashiwagi pushed open the door to the roof top and Mayu took in a deep breath of fresh air. There was a handful of other people up here – most people would have their bento outside between the trees, or in class. For a split second, Mayu wondered where Haruna was and looked over the railing down onto the field outside.

Kashiwagi stood next to her, still holding onto her arm and looked down together with her before she raised her free hand and pointed at a certain tree; the people sitting underneath it looked tiny from up here. “Isn’t that were you usually sit?”

Mayu squinted her eyes to see better and then nodded, surprised. “Y-yeah, you’re right. Haruna is alone today…” There was only a single person sitting underneath the tree and Mayu could tell by her long, brown hair that it was her big sister’s girlfriend.

“Haruna?” Kashiwagi asked and then looked down again, before her mouth formed an o-shape and she nodded. “Kojima-san. I didn’t know you were on first name basis with her.”

“Err,” Mayu stammered and looked up at Kashiwagi. “It’s just – I’m… I don’t think we’re friends. She’s my sister’s – my sister’s best friend,” Mayu managed to answer. “She’s over at our house a lot… she offered… to call her Haruna, because… because she’s visiting a lot.”

Kashiwagi giggled, “You’re cute when you’re all nervous.”

Cute? The word took Mayu back. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had called her cute. Maybe when she was still in elementary school? “How- um, how do you know I’m there?”

For the first time, Mayu noticed a reaction in Kashiwagi and was surprised to see her cheeks turn a darker shade of red. “I like watching others,” Kashiwagi replied, with a strong voice, despite the look on her face. “Especially… you, I suppose.”

Now it was Mayu’s turn to blush deeply. “Me? Why would you want to watch me?”

“I’m curious about you,” Kashiwagi said confidently and looked at Mayu. “C’mon, let’s sit down and eat.”

Mayu didn’t reply but nodded her head and followed Kashiwagi – she didn’t have any other choice, since the taller girl was still holding her arm tightly. They sat down on a bench and now Kashiwagi had to let go to open her bento box, and suddenly, the spot where Kashiwagi’s fingers had gripped around her skin felt cold due to the loss of contact. Mayu wanted her to reach out and hold her again, but she was too shy to say anything.

Mayu’s eyes flew open wide with happiness when she saw her mother had made her favourite – a karaage bento box. The meat was separated from the rice and on a second layer underneath were some egg and other vegetables to give her some more vitamins.

“What do you have?”

“Karaage,” Mayu replied happily and grabbed her chopsticks. “It’s my favourite.”

Kashiwagi smiled. “Good to know.”

Mayu was startled for a moment and held her chopsticks mid-air before digging into her food. Why did she want to know…? Shaking her head, she decided to shake off the thought as well. “Itadakimasu!” She replied instead, pretending like she hadn’t heard what the taller girl said.

“Itadakimasu,” Kashiwagi responded with a smile on her own face, and then the two girls ate together in silence. The other people around them were chatting from time to time, but everyone was so far spread out that Mayu barely heard anyone. She felt safe; she felt as if she dared to hold a conversation with Kashiwagi, nobody would be able to hear them either.

“Do you want some?” The tall girl offered her and held out her bento box. It was mostly fruit, the bananas and strawberries arranged in a way that formed a smiley face, which made Mayu giggle a little. “It looks cute.”

“Thank you!” Kashiwagi replied with a big smile.

“Did you make it yourself?” Mayu asked surprised, to which Kashiwagi nodded. “My mum starts work very early and comes home very late. It’s not very difficult, especially if it’s just raw food.”

Mayu frowned and held out her own bento box. “Would you like some meat and rice?” She offered. She couldn’t imagine that a bit of fruit and some vegetables would be able to help her sustain the whole day.

Kashiwagi smiled brightly, “Are you sure? It’s your favourite food, isn’t it?”

“I eat a lot of karaage,” Mayu admitted and blushed a little, looking down at her hands, still holding out her bento box. “I think you should have some, too.”

Kashiwagi nodded then and reached in to take out a small piece of meat, “Thank you,” before taking a bit off it. She let out a satisfied sigh and licked her lips; Mayu couldn’t help but follow the way her tongue along her lips and then suck it back behind her lips, hiding it within her mouth. “It’s so good.”

Mayu felt her cheeks blushing and turned away again, nodding. “I’m glad. I hope I will learn to cook like my mother one day, for my own children.”

Kashiwagi smiled. “I hope, I’m there already. I hope people would like my food.”

“We…” Mayu stopped and shut her mouth. Quickly, she shoved some rice in her mouth to keep herself from saying what she was about to say. How had the thought crossed her mind? _We can cook together some day_. She had never cooked with anyone… when she was in elementary and middle school, she had had a handful of friends, but she had never invited anyone over. The only person that she frequently saw at her own house was Haruna.

Again, she felt her cheeks heat up. Did she… like Kashiwagi the same way her sister liked Haruna?

It was impossible. She had only known her for half a day. True, they had been classmates for many weeks now, but Mayu had never paid attention to anyone. Until earlier today, she hadn’t even known her name. “Kashiwagi-san…” She started, but the other girl interrupted her.

“Yuki,” she told her. “You can call me Yuki. Or… Yuki-chan, if you want. My closest friends call me Yukirin. I would like it if you call me Yukirin, too.”

“Yukirin,” Mayu murmured and smiled. “I don’t have a nickname.”

Yukirin thought for a moment and then pursed her lips. “Is it okay if I call you Mayuyu? Or Mayu-chan?”

“Mayuyu is good,” Mayu replied with a smile and felt butterflies in her stomach. Mayuyu. She was the only person who had ever called her Mayuyu, and she liked it. Mayu and Yuki were nice names – they even went well together. Mayuyukirin. She liked the sound of it.

“Are you finished?” Yukirin asked her as she pointed at Mayu’s empty bento box. Her own was empty as well, but taking a look at her watch, they still had some time until they would have to go back to class. Mayu nodded her head and wrapped her box back up. “Is it okay if we take a picture together?”

“Eh!?” Mayu exclaimed, eyes wide and hands raised immediately. She waved them in front of her and shook her head immediately. “I didn’t do my hair properly today!”

Yukirin pouted. “But you look so cute today – I wanted to take a picture of you looking like this. It’s very beautiful.”

“Re-really?” Mayu asked shocked and stopped flailing her arms about. “If you… if you really want to, then I guess it’s okay…”

She watched as Yuki took out her smartphone and opened a camera app on her phone. Mayu leaned in and felt Yukirin’s shoulder press against hers; a nice weight. She leaned a bit more and tilted her head to the side until it almost lay on Yukirin’s shoulder, but not quite yet. They both smiled and held up their fingers for a peace sign, Mayu blowing up her cheeks for a cute pose. They added some face filters to take some more pictures and suddenly, Mayu felt Yukirin’s lips press against Mayu’s cheeks. The O-shape her lips formed was unintentional, and she was more focused on the butterflies in her stomach than on the shattering click of the camera as Yukirin pressed the button, but when she looked at the image, she thought it made a nice picture.

Yukirin pulled back, but Mayu could still feel the trace of her lips on her skin and a small part inside of her screamed at her for more. She wanted another kiss on the cheeks and then, she realised, she would also like a kiss on the lips.

“It’s time to go now,” Yukirin said as she took a look at the clock in the corner of her phone. Mayu watched in surprise, as Yukirin set one of the pictures they had taken as her wallpaper screen and then the two of them got up. Once more, Yukirin grabbed Mayu’s arm as they walked down the stairs to their class. She didn’t let go until their teacher came into the room and Mayu didn’t even mind that some of their classmates were looking at them in surprise.


	2. Chapter 2

Mayu spent the remainder of the day close by Yukirin’s side. She made her feel safe, in a different way than her sister ever could. For once, she didn’t mind people looking at her because she wanted Yukirin’s eyes on her.

It was ridiculous to think that Yukirin could be interested in her, in what she likes and how she spends her free time. She thought of herself as one of the most boring and plain people she had ever met, so what was there about her that caused Yukirin to like her?

Mayu didn’t know and she was sure it wouldn’t last longer than a day, but she was glad that at least for today, she had a friend. A friend that called her Mayuyu.

When Mayu and Yukirin left the building after school, all the other girls that Mayu usually went home with were standing outside the gates already, waiting for her. “C’mon Mayu, let’s go,” Takahashi-san told her and waved her over.

Mayu looked at Yukirin for a moment, “I’m sorry, I can’t let them wait.”

“I understand,” Yukirin told her with a kind smile and bowed her head a little. “I hope we can have lunch together again tomorrow?”

Mayu smiled and nodded, bowing her head once quickly as well. “See you tomorrow, Yukirin.”

“Bye, bye, Mayuyu,” she replied and waved as Mayu ran over to where her senpais were waiting for her.

“Who was that?” Miyazawa-san asked. There was no malice in her tone, just genuine curiosity. Mayu was taken aback for a moment because she couldn’t remember they had ever engaged in a conversation with her; usually, they just talked to her sister Yuko.

“A classmate,” Mayu replied quickly and honestly. “Since my big sister is ill today, she offered to have lunch with me.” Only now did Mayu realise how sad this sounded. Had Yukirin only pitied her because she was completely alone and without any friends? She really was kind, but of course there was nothing about Mayu to be interested in. She only felt sorry for her.

Miyazawa-san seemed satisfied with this answer and then the five girls made their way back home. It was back to the way it usually was now; Takahashi-san and Maeda-san talking together, quietly this time and giggling about something (probably a boy?) and Akimoto-san and Miyazawa-san talking about other stuff, while Mayu just trailed behind them. She wondered whether they would notice if she just stopped walking? But it would be rude to make them stop, in case they did notice.

Mayu’s was the first house they passed, so once again she thanked the older girls for accompanying her, said her good byes to all of them, and then went inside the house. “I’m home!” she shouted throughout the house and as she slipped out of her shoes and walked into the kitchen, she found her mother preparing dinner already, even though Mayu was home early today. There weren’t many club activities on Mondays (not that Mayu was part of any of them anyway).

“How was school today?” Her mother asked worriedly. She knew that Mayu was hiding a lot behind her big sister’s back and didn’t have any friends at school. She must have been worried about Mayu all day, and Mayu felt guilty that she made her worry like this.

“It was fine,” Mayu told her honestly, much to her mother’s surprise and relief. “A girl from my class ate lunch with me today and talked to me – she was very nice to me.” She didn’t mention that she was probably only so nice because she pitied her. Her mother seemed so happy about the fact that she hadn’t spent her whole day hiding away by herself that she didn’t want to crush her heart.

“That’s great!” Her mother exclaimed happily. “Why don’t you check on Yuko while I make dinner?”

Mayu nodded and put her empty bento box into the sink, then hurried into the bedroom she shared with her big sister. She knocked softly at first before entering and saw that Yuko was still lying in the same spot in the same position that Mayu had left her in the morning.

“Hello, big sister,” Mayu whispered in order not to startle her. Yuko looked up at her and smiled, reaching out her hands. Mayu walked closer and held her hands. “How was school?”

“It was fine, don’t worry, but how are you?”

The two girls chatted – Mayu did most of the talking so Yuko could rest – and Mayu couldn’t help the blush creeping up on her cheeks when she told her about Yukirin. The pervert that she is, Yuko asked whether she had a nice butt, causing Mayu to laugh. Her big sister was surprised when Mayu dropped the nickname “Yukirin” instead of referring to her by her last name, but she pretended it was nothing when Mayu asked her why she looked at her like that.

When Mayu woke up the next morning, she felt worried again. Yuki had only been nice to her the previous day because she was alone. Yuko seemed to feel as bad as the day before and there was no way she could come to school; but what if Yuki decided that today she didn’t want to hang out with Mayu again? She had said, she wanted to have lunch again today, but she might have only said it to be polite and might actually hope for Yuko to be back, so she would have lunch together with her big sister and Haruna.

“You’ll be fine,” Yuko assured her. “You have Yuki-chan now.”

Mayu sighed and nodded. She managed to have some of her breakfast and then walked to school again with her senpais like the day before. Once again, they weren’t talking to her but Mayu was too nervous to talk to anyone anyway.

When she made it to school, Yukirin was standing at the gates and waved at her excitedly when she saw the group of people approach. “Mayuyu!” She exclaimed and Mayu felt her cheeks heat up as her senpais looked at her. “I was waiting for you.”

“See you later, Mayu-chan,” Takahashi-san told her and Mayu quickly said her goodbyes to the other girls as well before she grinned brightly at Yukirin. “Good morning.”

“Goooood morning,” Yukirin grinned back. “C’mon, let’s go in together.”

“Why?” Mayu asked surprised. “You didn’t have to wait out here. I would have come to you.”

“Would you?” Yukirin asked suspiciously. Mayu felt like she had seen right through her – she probably wouldn’t have. She had expected Yukirin not to want anything to with her today, and she would have respected that. It made more sense to her than this. “You see, I’m easily jealous. I want to walk to class with you.”

Mayu smiled and nodded as she felt Yuki grab her hand this time. Yesterday, she had always held onto her wrist but today she had moved her hand down her arm and past the wrist, sliding her fingers into Mayu’s until the were intertwined. She gave Mayu’s hand a squeeze, sending butterflies through her stomach and tinge of red up her cheeks. “Y-you don’t have to be jealous,” Mayu told her, unable to comprehend the fact that Yukirin would be possessive over her. “I don’t have anyone else, anyway.”

“I would like to walk you home instead of our senpai,” Yukirin murmured quietly.

Mayu’s eyes shot open in surprise. “Re-really? Why?”

Yukirin shrugged and avoided her eyes. “Wouldn’t it be nice to go home together, cook together, bathe together… go to sleep together?”

Mayu blinked, her eyes wide and then swallowed hard. The images spread through her mind and she nodded. The idea really seemed very nice. “I-it does…”

Yukirin smiled. “Can I walk home with you some day, then?”

“Y-yes,” Mayu replied and they made their way to their classroom. Less people were looking at them today, but there were still a few that seemed curious. How had this happened, some must wonder. Yukirin was tall, had beautiful hair and was very expressive. Mayu was quiet, shy; barely anyone knew anything about her. How had she managed to become friends with Yuki, so quickly and so close?

Classes passed quickly and Yuki slipped Mayu small notes here and there.

“Your hair looks nice today.”

“I like your smile.”

“You’re pretty.”

All of them made Mayu smile, but she never wrote anything back. Yuki was too amazing, too overwhelming, to put it on such a small piece of paper. There was no way a small note could convey how strongly she felt about Yukirin, how impressive and amazing she was in Mayu’s eyes.

Yuki grabbed Mayu’s hand again when they walked back up to the roof top and again sat far from anyone else. They ate their bentos in silence and Mayu relished in every little touch she received from Yukirin, whether it was the intentional brush of Mayu’s hair behind her ear or the accidental way their shoulders touched whenever Yukirin picked up some of her food (or maybe it was intentional too? Mayu hoped it was). Yukirin asked her about her favourite colour, her favourite anime, her favourite manga, her favourite animal, her favourite hobby, what she wanted to be when she grew up, about her big sister… it really seemed as if she was genuinely interested in Mayuyu, and that gave her some hope that her feelings weren’t as one-sided as she thought at first.

They took two-shots together again when they had finished their lunch and once more, Yukirin pressed her lips to Mayu’s cheek for one of the pictures. She set it as her new wallpaper as they walked back down to class.

After school, Yukirin was part of the dance club and they had to part ways right after class, and asked Mayu whether she was part of any clubs. “No,” Mayu shook her head. “I don’t know what I’d like.”

Yukirin shrugged. “You said you like anime and voice-acting… why don’t you try the drama club?”

Mayu bit her lip. She played with the thought for a moment before she quickly reminded herself, “Akimoto-san and Miyazawa-san must be waiting for me already. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, bye, Mayuyu,” Yukirin smiled and waved her good bye as Mayu hurried outside. And she was right, her senpais were already waiting for her at the gates.

“Where’s your classmate?” Akimoto-san asked her curiously. There was a tone in her voice Mayu couldn’t quite understand, but she deemed it curiosity. “Does she walk another way?”

“She’s part of the dance club,” Mayu told her honestly. “She’ll be staying in school longer today.”

“Why doesn’t Mayu-chan join a club?” Akimoto-san asked her. She was kind. She wasn’t mocking her; it seemed she was seriously concerned for Mayu and her lack of friends.

“I was thinking of joining the drama club, if they still accept members now,” Mayu replied, feeling her cheeks heat up again. That answer seemed to satisfy her senpai, and so the three of them made their way home. Takahashi and Maeda were part of a club that held its activities on Tuesdays as well, so they would be walking home later that day.

Mayu said a quick hello and thank-you-for-my-bento to her mother when she got home and then quickly went into the bedroom to tell her big sister all about her day. There was this knowing look on Yuko’s face as she listened to Mayu talk about amazing Yuki was, how comfortable she felt around her. Mayu didn’t tell her that she wanted to kiss Yukirin, but Yuko could tell simply by the way she talked about her.

The next three days continued like this. Mayu would come to school with the older girls, meet Yukirin at the gates, walk to class with her hand in hand. Yukirin would scribble little notes for her during class and hand them to her, and for lunch they would go up to the roof and eat together. Then they would take selfies, and Yukirin would set her favourite picture as her wallpaper. Mayu saw that she had already created a new folder on her phone with just pictures of the two of them.

Then at the end of the day, they would walk to the gates together or say goodbye in class if Yukirin had to go to her after-school club, and then Mayu walked home silently with her senpais.

Mayu had never felt as lonely as she did on the weekend. She kept wanting to get up and ready for school on Saturday and Sunday morning and realised with a heavy heart that she wouldn’t get to see Yukirin today. She was moping around all day and staying quiet, but nobody in her family seemed to care – in fact, they seemed quite happy. Finally, Mayu had found a friend and a reason to want to go to school.

Yuko felt a lot better by Monday morning. To Mayu, it felt like this had been the longest weekend ever and she realised she should have at least exchanged mail addresses with Yukirin so they could have mailed each other over the weekend… or maybe LINE, so they could send each other cute stickers. Mayu wanted Yukirin to send her selfies and tell her about her day. She had grown so used to talking to her.

Yuko and Mayu made their way to meet the other girls to walk to school and Yuko looked at her sister in surprise – it had just been one week since that she had had to stay home from school, but her younger sister had changed so much. She wasn’t walking behind her anymore; in fact, she was walking in front of everyone, anxious to get to school. She was chatting to her senpais – not very frequently, but she wasn’t shying away from conversation anymore either.

“Mayuyu!” Yuko heard and finally saw the girl her little sister had been talking about all day long. “I was waiting for you.”

Yuko watched as Mayu quickly said her good byes and thank you’s to the other girls and then hurried inside with her friend. “Has she been like this all week?” Yuko asked her Acchan, Takamina, Akimoto and Sae-chan.

“Yes,” Takamina giggled and shook her head. “It’s crazy how much she changed in this one week. It must be nice for you that she doesn’t follow you around anymore now.”

Yuko watched as Mayu quickly got changed into her school shoes and then saw with surprise how Yukirin’s hand slipped into her younger sister’s and then, hand in hand, they walked to their classroom.

Surprised, but happy, Yuko quickly got changed as well and then made her way to find her girlfriend Nyan Nyan in her classroom. “Nyan!” She shouted for her, standing in the door and the brown haired girl looked up, her eyes lighting up. “Yuko!” She cheered and quickly got up, accidentally knocking over the drink the girl sitting at the desk next to her had put on the desk. It spilled all over the girl’s uniform and she gasped in shock, but Haruna only had eyes for Yuko in this moment.

She ran over to where her girlfriend was waiting for her, laughing, and quickly wrapped her arms around her. “I missed you! How are you feeling? Where’s Mayu-chan?”

Yuko giggled and hugged her back tightly. “I’m feeling well! A lot better than last week. And… believe it or not, Mayu has found herself a new friend. She doesn’t need us anymore.”

“I see,” Haruna muttered and giggled, “I wondered where she had been all week. Is she… a friend, or is it more?”

“It’s more,” Yuko answered decidedly. “Mayu just hasn’t realised it yet.”

***

On Tuesday evening during dinner, Mayu asked her mother if she could invite Yukirin over for the next day or Friday for a sleep-over. She promised she would make breakfast for her, they could make their bentos together by themselves and they would go to sleep early so they could walk to school together fresh and early the next day.

“If Yuki-chan’s mother allows it, it’s fine with me,” her mother said after a while of contemplating and Mayu thanked her over and over again for her kindness and understanding.

Mayu had been brave enough to ask her new friend for her LINE earlier that day, so she quickly sent her a message, asking her whether she wanted to and was allowed to have a sleep-over the next day. She fell asleep with her phone in her hand and the LINE chat still open, the messages of two excited school girls brightly visible on the screen.

The next day, that was the only thing they talked about. Yukirin had brought a sleeping bag and some clothes to sleep in for the night, as well as a tooth brush and kept them all in her locker room as they waited for the day to pass. Mayu wondered whether she was imagining it but she thought sometimes Yukirin was looking at her mouth with the same desire that she felt when looking at Yukirin’s lips.

They chatted vividly on their way back home. They were so engaged in their conversation, that they didn’t even notice the senpais behind them weren’t saying anything at all, which was very unusual behaviour for them; Mayu’s own sister was not part of the group, as she had asked her mother to let her sleep at Haruna’s place for the night to give Mayu and Yuki more space.

The girls said hello to Mayu’s mother and Mayu quickly introduced her as, “My classmate and friend Kashiwagi Yuki-chan,” and Yukirin grinned at her. Then the two of them started doing their homework, sitting across from each other at the table in the living room and sneaking glances at one another from time to time. When they caught each other’s eye, they were grinning and Mayu thought that at one point it seemed as if Yukirin was reaching out her hand, just for a moment, to grab Mayu’s but then decided against it. Mayu wished she would have done it.

Later, they went into the kitchen to make their bento for the next day together, just as Mayu had promised her mother. They put on some random idol music on the little CD player that her mother usually used to listen to Enka music, and then they danced around the room as they cut up some vegetables and boiled some eggs and rice. They didn’t have an exact plan what kind of meal they wanted, but they just rolled with it and sang and danced along to the music that was coming from the radio.

Mayu tried to touch Yukirin as often as possible without seeming weird; it was just that she enjoyed being close to her so much. They managed to finish their bento boxes just before nine, and then they decided to have a bath together – just like they had imagined.

Never had Mayu felt as shy about bathing with someone else as she did in this moment. She always bathed together with her sister, and she had bathed together with friends in elementary and middle school; she had never invited anyone to her house, but she had been over to some of their places. But… with Yukirin, it was different.

The taller girl didn’t seem faced, however. She slipped out of her school uniform, happy to be out of it after such a long day, and Mayu couldn’t help but admire the curve of her butt and the smoothness of her legs as Yukirin stood naked in front of her, her back facing Mayu. She looked back and saw Mayu, still completely dressed and frowned, “Are you okay?”

Mayu nodded, “It’s just – it’s just that I haven’t had a bath with anyone except for my big sister in a long time.”

Yukirin nodded understandingly. “I will turn around, if it’s easier for you. And when you’re ready, you can come in.” She lifted up one of her smooth legs and put it in the steaming bath tub, quickly followed by the next one. She sat down in the tub, her back still facing Mayu and her hair slowly sinking into the water as she lowered her body. A relieved sigh escaped her lips and Mayu felt her face heat up at the sound.

She took a deep breath and then opened the buttons of her shirt, pulled down her tights and then slipped out of her skirt. She lingered a little as she was only wearing her underwear, then took another deep breath and got it off quickly. “Close your eyes,” Mayu asked Yukirin and when she moved forward to look at her, Yuki’s eyes were squeezed together tightly.

Slowly, she put her own legs in the tub and lowered herself until only her head and collarbones were still poking out of the steamy water. It was hot, but it was still comfortable and Mayu immediately felt her worries wash away. “You look really pretty,” Yukirin told her with a smile when she slowly peeled her eyes open again.

Mayu blushed. “Thank you.”

“Can I wash your hair?” She asked, causing Mayu to blink in surprise.

“Y-you want to?”

“Hm,” Yukirin hummed and nodded her head. “I want you to relax and feel good.”

Mayu nodded and turned around, moving closer to Yukirin. The taller girl grabbed the shower head and wet Mayu’s head, then reached for the shampoo and squeezed on her fingers. Mayu didn’t see any of this, but she could hear and feel. Then, there were two hands on her scalp, massaging softly and gently and Mayu had never felt this good in her life before. Yuko washed her hair for her frequently, but this… this was completely different. Yukirin’s hands felt soft and gentle and so, _so_ good.

Mayu let out a hum. “Does it feel nice?” Yukirin asked, her voice far away.

“Yes,” Mayu sighed contently. “It’s really nice.”

Yukirin smiled happily and continued rubbing the shampoo into Mayu’s hair, then washed it out. “You smell lovely,” she told the shorter girl.

“Thank you,” Mayu replied with a blush and turned back around to face Yukirin. “Do you want me to wash your hair as well?”

Yukirin nodded and turned around, letting Mayu’s eyes trail down her spine a little. The water was steaming a lot so she couldn’t see much anyway, but Yukirin’s body was longer than hers, so more of her body was visible sitting down.

Mayu tried to be as soft and gentle as Yukirin had been for her and felt a twist in her stomach when Yukirin sighed happily. “So nice.”

Mayu was glad that Yukirin wasn’t watching her because it would have been hard for her to hide the blush that made its way onto her cheeks when Yukirin said that. She really wanted to make her feel good.

When she was finished, Yukirin turned around and smiled. Her eyes weren’t concentrating on Mayuyu, but she didn’t mind. They were both feeling so blissful and relaxed in this moment, that nothing could ruin the mood. “Shall we get out?” Yukirin asked after a while. “We shouldn’t fall asleep in here.”

Mayu nodded and got up without thinking about how shy she had been earlier around Yukirin. Even though she had only washed her hair, it had felt so intimate and comfortable, that Mayu thought there was nothing that could make her feel uncomfortable and shy around Yukirin anymore. She rubbed her body with the towel, Yukirin following her example, and then they quickly got into their pyjamas, then into the bedroom.

“You can sleep in my sister’s bed, if you like,” Mayu offered Yukirin as they stood in the room. “She’s sleeping at her g- at her friend’s house tonight.” Although Mayu doubted that Yukirin would judge Yuko for having a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend, she preferred not to say it. It wasn’t her business, anyway. It was her sister’s.

Yukirin looked at the two beds, far apart from one another and frowned. “Will we be this separated the whole night?”

Mayu bit her lip. “I thought – I mean, we can sleep together in my bed, if you want,” she stammered and felt her cheeks turn deep red. “I just… I wasn’t sure whether that’d be okay for you – I want you to feel good. I want you… I want you to come back here again. So we can do all this again.”

Yukirin smiled and nodded. “I want to. I want you.”

Mayu’s eyes shot open and she looked up at Yukirin with wide eyes. “Y-you do?”

Yukirin nodded and held out her hands, bowing her head. “I love you!”

A shock flew through Mayu as the words reached her ears and her mouth opened wide in shock. Yukirin… loved her? Was she… was she really confessing her love for her, right now, right here?

Yukirin had been nothing but kind and sweet to her. She had listened to her, had wanted to find out more about her, had asked her questions about her… Nobody had ever shown so much interest in her before. Yukirin… was in love with Mayu?

Cautiously, she reached out her hands to grab Yukirin’s and immediately, the taller girl looked back up and smiled brightly as she felt Mayu’s hands hold her own tightly. “Do you love me too?”

Mayu nodded. “I… I’ve never felt this safe and comfortable with anyone else,” she admitted to Yukirin. “Not even with my big sister. I always thought I was safest with her. But you make me feel like… like I can do anything. I don’t want to hide behind you. I want to be in the light together with you.”

Yukirin smiled brightly and leaned closer, wrapping her arms around Mayu for a tight hug. Mayu could feel her breath in the crook of her neck and then felt Yukirin’s lips on her cheek again, just for a moment – and then again. She was pressing butterfly kisses on Mayu’s cheek, again and again. Then, Mayu noticed and her heart started beating faster, Yukirin’s mouth was moving closer to the centre of her face, towards her lips. She stood still and waited, waited for a moment she had been yearning for ever since Yukirin first kissed her on the cheek. Her heart was hammering against her rib cage and the butterflies in her stomach were wreaking havoc.

“I love you~,” hummed Yukirin again before her lips finally found Mayu’s. Both of them stayed still for a moment, enjoying the simple feeling of their lips against each other. Then, Yukirin became more aggressive and pressed her lips stronger against Mayu’s, pulling her body closer with her hands. She moved her hands down to hold onto Mayu’s waist and held her in place as she slowly moved her lips against Mayu’s.

Mayu slowly but surely raised her arms as well and put them around Yukirin’s neck, pulling her head closer as well. They moved against each other and when they pulled back, not very far, their foreheads still touching, Mayu was breathing heavily. She had just had her first kiss, and it had been with Yukirin.

“I love you too,” Mayu whispered and leaned in for another kiss.


End file.
